Coaxial loudspeakers (or speakers) arrange two or more drivers/transducers so that the sound produced radiates from the same point or axis. Coaxial speaker designs may be used in various applications where space or packaging constraints are imposed, such as in automotive applications, for example. Multi-way coaxial speakers may include two-way and three-way speakers having a higher frequency band transducer mounted along a common axis with one or more lower frequency band transducers. Two-way speakers typically have a high frequency band tweeter coaxially positioned with a low frequency woofer. Three-way speakers may include a high frequency tweeter in addition to a mid-range tweeter and a woofer with at least two of the transducers coaxially positioned. In various implementations, the tweeter is positioned in the center front of the woofer cone using a plastic support member, spacer, or pole disposed between the back of the tweeter and the top of the woofer center pole.
In addition to space and packaging considerations, automotive applications and various other applications may benefit from reducing weight associated with loudspeakers, particularly where multiple loudspeakers are employed. While ceramic ring magnets are suitable for many applications due to relatively low cost, it is difficult to use ceramic ring magnets for tweeters due to the size of magnet required and low magnetic flux intensity in the air gap, particularly in multi-way coaxial speakers. As such, many coaxial speakers use a more expensive rare-earth magnet for the tweeter to provide the desired magnetic flux in the air gap.